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Hallucinogens
Uni of Notts, Addiction & The Brain, first year
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Hallucinogens | Substances causing altered states if consciousness, a dissociation of self-boundaries & union with the world. They also often cause extrasensory perceptions (hallucinations) |
| Psychedelic | Mild opening |
| Psychotomimetic | mimicking the effects of psychosis, rarely associated with hallucinogens |
| entheogenic | generating the divine/spiritual within, not used often in official documentation |
| Classical hallucinogens | Serotonergic (5-HT) agonists causing hallucinations & altered states of consciousness |
| Dissociative anaesthetics | Synthetic drugs causing feelings of detachment from environment & altered perception of body consistency. At high doses can cause loss of all sensation (anaesthesia) |
| How dissociative anaesthetics work | Bind to pores of NMDA glutamatergic receptors as competitive antagonists preventing hippocampal LTPs & disinhibition in certain regions (such as inhibitory interneurons in VTA) leading to dopamine release & dependence |
| 5DASC | 5-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness. A psychometric questionnaire to quantify a person's state of consciousness when under the influence of drugs or psychiatric disorders |
| Oceanic boundlessness | A positive disintegration of boundaries between a person's sense of self & the environment & people around them leading to feelings of unity & loss of subjectivity transcending space & time |
| Anxious ego-dissolution | Dysphoric disintegration of self-boundaries leading to fear & existential dread making the experience feel like a loss of identity rather than being freeing. Can be potentially psychotomimetic |
| Visionary destructuralisation | A radical breakdown & reconfiguration of perception of the world characterised by perceptual disintegration, visionary content, & cognitive reframing |
| Factors determining psychopharmacological effects of hallucinogens | They're very unpredictable & depend on the expectations of the user (set) & the environment they're in (setting) |
| Stanislov Groft (1975) opinions on psychedelics | They're powerful, unspecific amplifiers or catalysts of biochemical & physiological processes in the brain & repeated use causes varied reactions |
| History of synthetic hallucinogens | In the mid 20th century PCP was synthesised for anaesthesia but was replaced with ketamine as a safer alternative. Ket is still used in improvised emergency medical procedures, animals, & children |
| History of illegalisation of hallucinogens | Researchers planning to use it to study altered states of consciousness but in the 60s it became part of hippie counterculture who protested against governing bodies causing a legal clampdown on psychedelics |
| Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) | Stimulant with high affinity for 5-HT receptors, similar to hallucinogens with altered states of consciousness except without extrasensory perceptions & triggers dopamine release |
| Dangers of halluconogens | Most classic hallucinogens cause almost no harm to the user except psychological distress. Ecstasy may lead to overheating, dehydration, & bad interaction with other drugs. Dissociative anaesthetics can lead to a deadly overdose |
| Indoleamine hallucinogens | Chemical analogues of 5-hydroxytryptamine which agonise serotonergic post-synaptic neurones. Extra ether or alkyl groups increase lipid solubility |
| Phenethylamine hallucinogens | Chemical analogues of amphetamine with high affinity for 5-HTa & 5-HTb receptors |
| Raphe nuclei | Midbrain Ganglia projecting to many cortical & subcortical regions with predominantly serotonergic neurones to regulate many functions such as sleep, appetite, & mood |
| Region of brain responsible for hallucinogenic action & their receptor | 5-HTa G-Protein Coupled excitatory Receptors in the prefrontal cortex |
| Animal models of classical hallucinogens & dissociative anaesthetics | fMRI shows psilocybin reduces cortical activation but less so in animal models. Taking NMDA antagonists with MDMA causes neurodegeneration of serotonergic neurones even in recreational doses |
| Effects of ketamine on the body | Causes potential damage to many organs & organ systems, especially the renal system causing dysfunction, ulcerative cystitis, & the infamous "K-cramps" |
| Therapeutic possibilities of hallucinogens | Patients suffering from cancer-anxiety, severe depression, & drug dependence benefit from consuming hallucinogens however, these are in small samples & could be affected by extraneous variables & ethical concerns |
| Approved ketamine therapy | Has passed clinical trials & has been approved for use as a low-dosage nasal spray in treatment-resistant depression |
Created by:
Beech47
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